July 5, 1776: Congress’s First Land Purchase
This day in the American Revolution: Congress authorizes its first land acquisition, purchasing 96 acres to the south of Philadelphia on which to build a fort to prevent a British invasion up the Delaware River. Fort Billingsport would be designed by Polish engineer Tadeusz Kościuszko
On the morning of July 5, 1776, the Second Continental Congress authorized the Committee of Safety to purchase a 96 acre tract of farm land in Billingsport, New Jersey (a section of Paulsboro). This was the first land purchase made by the United States of America. As such, it became the “Birthplace of Homeland Security.” During late August 1776, Thaddeus Kosciuszko was commissioned as a Colonel. General George Washington immediately sent Kosciuszko to Billingsport to select the exact location and draw plans for a fort.
On October 2, 1777, 1,500 seasoned British troops attached and occupied Fort Billingsport. The guerilla tactics of the New Jersey militia resulted in losses to British soldiers foraging for food and supplies. As a result, on October 5th the British army evacuated Fort Billingsport. A dispatch from General Washington written on November 6, 1777 stated, “I beg liberty to repeat that Billingsport is of far more Importance than all the Forts and Gallies put together…”